Daily 5: The $3.75MM elephant in the room, Kunitz future, John Hynes, Gerrit Cole & more

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TIOPS DAILY FIVE

*Rumblings, Musings, Opinions*

1. The expectation in the Penguins organization is this regarding Pascal Dupuis:

Doctors are likely to come up with a medication that will allow Dupuis to be ‘cleared’ to play next season but there will be a cloud around him all season and uncertainty as no one knows whether he’ll be able to get through the season, let alone play at an adequate level for someone at his age coming off the seriousness of blood clots and a torn ACL the previous year.

He’s the $3.75 million (cap hit) “elephant in the room,” as one source put it.

Dupuis is a great guy, very valuable in the room and just someone you root for and many are, but the best case scenario for the Penguins would be to have the cap space available and knowing it’s going to be available.

2. One thought around the Penguins has been that it makes little sense to have Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis both on the roster next season with the Penguins wanting to get younger on the wings. The Penguins have planned to put Kunitz name out there, unlike last summer when he was off-limits, but Jim Rutherford is also very comfortable in bringing Kunitz back. With his trade value low and on top of that, the Dupuis situation, the odds of Chris Kunitz being back next season are increasing, execs believe.

4. Ray Shero’s Plan-A in New Jersey was to hire Todd Reirden as head coach and bring John Hynes on board as associate head coach, those in the coaching fraternity say. However, that plan was complicated as it would have cost the Devils two-third round picks and Reirden was luke warm about making the jump to New Jersey and informed Shero last week he planned to stay put.

Reirden eyes a chance to become an NHL head coach but he’s in a very good situation in Washington where the pay is about as good as Hynes is going to receive as head coach in New Jersey and it would have been tough for Reirden to leave Washington after one season when he played such a big part in luring Brooks Orpik, Matt Niskanen to the Capitals last summer.

5. What we’re seeing from Gerrit Cole is how it’s suppose to be when you’re the No. 1 overall pick. Enjoy these next three to four seasons Pirate fans before Scott Boras has another $200+ million contract on his resume for a client.